Weekly Update 4-13-09

It is getting on to Monday evening here. Today is a state holiday (Easter) as was Friday (Good Friday) so the road traffic is light but the internet is terribly slow. We spent a little time at the Mission Office this morning then a quick run to try and find some kitchen devices (measuring cups, graters, etc.) as Sister Bishop's cooking class was a big hit so a couple of the RS organizations want to get some items they can loan out to members when they try their baking. The stores we wanted to visit were observing the holiday so the balance of the day was just here in the flat getting a few items ready for our up-country travel.

We have quite a few investigators again. There are 11 in Kilili, 7 in Kyambeke, 13 in Ilima, and even 1 in the new branch at Mitini. There are several real strong candidates in the group and maybe a few who are somewhat more interested in the consistent welfare support but I am not sure how to separate the sheep from the goats if that is the case. The young man from Mitini is super and was referred to us by his father who we had taught several lessons to previously. They were raised rather strong Catholic but he feels that they are not able to answer some major questions he had so has been looking for a few years. He is around 20 and his father said he wants him to join but I warned him that the danger would be that his son would probably keep pestering him until the rest of the family was baptized. The father did give us a referral on a daughter who is here in Nairobi so we alerted the Sisters in that area to go see her. Not sure how active they have been in the Catholic Church as of late but I became concerned that maybe the locals were out to save them from the "Devil Worshipers" (that's us) when we approached Mitini Friday and they had the road blocked. We finally decided that it was just their Good Friday observances which includes a parade with a cross etc. and were able to pass by after waiting for a few minutes. We had to negotiate through 3 more such observances as we came down the hills that day.

The Kikoko Hospital finally got their first shipment of supplies that we have been working with LDS Charities to provide for some months now. Sister Mary Agatha who is in charge there was rather pleased when we stopped to confirm its' arrival. We still have about .8 million shillings to spend there and they are wanting a bigger generator and to replace 46 mattresses. However their version of a generator has taken on a little bigger proportions so the bedding might go away. She was visiting a sister hospital in Nairobi when the power went out and their generator automatically kicked on. Now she wants the same capability rather than having to run and hand start them as the power anywhere in Kenya is rather consistently unreliable and I imagine that those hamlets up-country that do have power are probably decidedly more unreliable. Her desires are probably very valid and do fall within the parameters that the folks in Salt Lake approved. It will just take a little more leg work on our part to find what she wants at the cost consistent with our resources.

As our time in Kenya is winding down these extra little wrinkles just chew away at our established schedule but then what are we here for anyway if not to try and get a few good things done. We have pretty well settled in our own minds that we will count ourselves lucky if we can get just 2 more families to the Temple. We have their applications sitting at immigration and praying they will all get accomplished in a timely manner. There are others still working on earlier stages of the program but we will just have to turn those to someone else to shepherd them through. We are not giving up on any of our current programs but time will be the judge of just what we do get accomplished.

We have had more rain here in Nairobi with little smatterings up-country and we just keep hoping there is more on the way. Well it is time for FHE so I will send this off with our love and fond hopes for a joyful reunion soon.
Elder & Sister Bishop